Ice-creeper



(No Model.)

W. W; & E. P. PRESTON,

10E CREEPER. No. 380,816.. Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

INVBNTOR ATTORNEYS.

N, PEYERS. PlvulirLilhographar. Wahin u u.'c.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEETCE.

WILLIAM W. PRESTON AND EDWARD F. PRESTON, OF BISMARCK, MICHIGAN.

ICE-=CREEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed October 19, 1867.

To. all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM W. PRESTON and EDWARD F. PRESTON, both of Bismarck, in the county of Eaton and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements inIce-Creepers, of which thefollowingisafull, clear, and exact description.

This invention more particularly relates to ice-creepers designed to be applied to rubber overshoes; and it consists in an opening and closing or folding and reversible ice-creeper, and in various special constructions and combinations of parts making up the same, substantially as hereinafter describcd,and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a View in perspective of the heel and rear portion of the sole of a rub ber overshoe, as seen from beneath or inverted, with our improved ice-creeper applied, and as opened or turned over for use. Fig. 2 isa similar perspective view, but showing the icecreeper as closed upon the sole and out of use; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of like parts with the ice-creeper in its working position, as represented in Fig. 1.

A is the heel, and B the rear portion,of the sole of a rubber overshoe to which the icecreeper is shown applied. The main elements of our improved iceoreeper are a shank or main plate, a turnover pivoted or lever spurframe, and a spring controlling the latter, the whole constituting a reversible ice-creeper capable of adjustment for use on or beneath the heel of the shoe, or for adjustment out of use against or folded up Within the hollow or shank of the sole.

C is the shank-plate, curved to conform on its surface longitudinally to the outer surface of the portion of the sole B of the overshoe immediately in front of the heel A. This shank-plate is represented as constructed with an angling extension, b, at its rear end, constructed to bring the surface of said extension when attached to the shoe on a level with the under surface of the shoe-heel, and projecting go far enough thereon to give room for fastening Patent NO. 380,816, dated April 10, 1888.

Serial No. 252,816. (No model.)

it firmly to the heel. This curved construction and angling extension of the main or shank plate makes said plate conform to the surface shape of the heel and the sole-surface of the shoe immediately in front of the heel, 5 in order to utilize the spunframeD of the device, as hereinafter described. Furthermore, said shank-plate C is constructed with afiange,

c, on each side of its inner face, to form open bearings (Z for the journals of the pivot-bar 6 6o of the spur-frame D, and to establish a recess for receiving within it under cover the spring S, which controls said frame. The pivot-bar 0 lies within a transverse groove,f, in the inner face of the shank-plate, connecting or ter- 6 minating in the open bearings d for thejournals of the pivot-bar in and through the flanges 0. Rectangular countersunk holes are made in each end of the shank-plate G to receive rivet-fastenings h, thus holding the sole and heel of the shoe to conform to the shape of said plate both when the spur-frame l) is in and out of use.

The spring S, which occupies a longitudinal position within the shank-plate, is curved to conform to thelongitudinal curve of said plate, and is fastened to said plate near its front end,

as at i. Said spring extends back beyond the pivot-bar e and presses against the rubber of the front edge portion of the heel A, whereby the spring is assisted in a measure by the resiliency of the rubber.

The turn-over lever-like spur-frame D has two side arms, k k, attached to theends of the pivot-bar d, exterior of the side flanges of the 8 5 shank-plate C. These side arms are curved longitudinally, to conform the spur-frame D to the surface of the heel of the shoe when said frame is turned over onto the heel to put the spurs into use, and to conform to the shank of 0 the sole when said frame is not in use. The outer end of the spur-frame is of transverseplate construction, connecting the side arms,

k 70, and has the spurs Z Z of the creeper 011 its outer corners. 5

Thepivot-bardof the spurframeDis of flattened construction, and when in position for use in the transverse groove f the hearings in the side flanges of the shank-plate constitute the fulcrum for the side arms, k k, of the spur- Ieo frame, and the spring S bears on the back of thepivot-bardtocontrol thespur-frame, which, by the construction of its arms and adjacent parts, as described, operates with a snap, and is held securely in position both when thrown down or over onto the sole portion of the shoe, as shown in Fig. 2, to put the spurs out of action and the ice-creeper generally out of all projecting interference with the sole and heel of the shoe when treading on the ground, and also when the spur-frame is reversedthat is, thrown over or back onto the heel of theshoeto expose the spurs Z Z for use or action.

Arranged upon the outer surface of the front end portion of the shank-plate G are stops or projections m, to prevent the spurs from cutting or marring the sole of the shoe when the spur-frame D is closed or shut down over the sole of the shoe out of use.

The rivets h, which secure the shank-plate G on the shoe, are split clinch ones-that is, their shanks are split-sothat after being projected through the shoe to hold the creeper in place the split end portions of said shanks may be flattened and spread out onto or over clinch collars or washers n non theinside of theshoe. These rivets have a powerful clinch-draft in direction of their shanks, and not only form a ready means of attaching and detaching the creeper, but hold the creeper securely in position against all strain. Any other fastenings, however, may be used, if desired.

An important feature in the construction of the ice-creeper as described is the binding of the heel and sole together by the shank-plate having a heel-extension, as specified.

'0, having opposite side flanges, c 0, curved to fit the curve of the shoe in front of the heel and notched at their ends, as at d d, and the rearward extension, Z, to rest on the shoe-heel,

the spring S, secured and. concealed within the recess formed on the under side of the shank O, the swinging spur-frame having an angular cross bar extending through the notches (1 under the spring, and curved side bars, 70, at opposite sides of the shank, sub stantially as set forth.

2. In an ice creeper, the shank O, curved to conform to shank of the shoe, and formed with the heel extension I) and the curved side flanges, ,0 a, forming a spring receiving and concealing chamber and having notches in their edges near their rear ends, substantially as set forth.

3. The hereindescribed ice-creeper,consisting in the curved shank 0, having a heel-extension, b, and notched side flanges, c, aspring concealed within the recess formed by said flanges, securing rivets at opposite ends of the shank, the stop at on the outer side of the front end of the shank, the swinging frame having an angular cross-bar, a, curved side arms, is k, at opposite sides of the shank, and the spurs Z lat the outer corners of the frame, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM W. PRESTON. EDWARD F. PRESTON. \Vitnesscs:

W. H. BENEDICT, FRED B. BENEDICT. 

